Even if you haven’t individually met Assistant Chancellor of Student Affairs Michael Viney, chances are you’ve enjoyed some of the improvements he’s helped bring to campus.

“Dr. Viney has his fingerprints all over this place,” Rich Egley, dean of students, said.

As assistant chancellor, Viney works with various departments around UW-Platteville to improve the quality of life for students. The Ullsvik Center renovations, Greenwood Avenue Market, the new Pro-Grass field surface in Ralph E. Davis Pioneer stadium and the development of Southwest Hall are among the projects that Viney has helped bring to campus.

“In the state, he’s the only expert, in my opinion, on student segregated fees and state regulations and statutes regarding them,” Egley said.

Assistant Chancellor Viney is involved with more than just campus facilities, however. Students who recognize Viney may have worked with him during the SUFAC process, an area where he is somewhat of an expert.

“As an adviser to SUFAC, he spends hours upon hours educating students about the regulations of SUFAC,” Carole Sue Butts, provost and vice chancellor, said. “He spends time with the students so they can use knowledge to make good choices, whereas other advisers might just come in the day of.”

Butts said that unlike other campuses, there is no tension or sense of competition between the academic affairs and student affairs departments.

“Usually on other campuses there’s competition between student affairs and academic affairs because they compete for funding. That is not an issue here,” Butts said. “Michael and I share a vision of a complete education that takes place both inside and outside the classroom.”

Carlos Wiley, director of university diversity initiatives, has worked with Viney on projects that promote diversity and tolerance on campus, including the town hall meeting that took place last year.

“Dr. Viney is passionate about the education of students and has proven himself to be a leading administrator in bridging the gap between student affairs and academic affairs,” Wiley said.

Michael Viney holds two degrees from UW-P, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling. He started dating his wife Rhonda Viney, director of housing, when they were 15 and credits her as the reason he attended school at Platteville.

“I followed Rhonda here. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have came to UW-P,” said Michael Viney.

Viney strives to keep connected to the student body on a personal level as well.

“I’m on Facebook, and I probably check it twice a day. I’ve connected with lots of students,” Viney said, “If I was on a job without student connections, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.”